To America and Back
Page 40
Semadar entered the cabin of Naitty’s Transporter. He was said to drive her to Beit Daras in the south, for Humik’s ‘End of Recruitment’ ceremony, open to the public. Effy was not there nor Hedwa, as she had suddenly decided to buy a new dress in Tel Aviv, and Effy joined her. He would escort her back home by bus, and by bus return to Tel Aviv.
While seated in the transporter, Naitty handed a surprise present to Semadar: 22 carat gold ring, with flashing five diamonds. But not only that: also a 22 carat gold necklace, and in its center a golden scroll in a length of a third of a finger. On its face the goldsmith engraved in Hebrew: “How do I love your singing”, and on its back: ”All the day it on my lips.”(a paraphrase of Psalms’ verse).
“I must confess,” Naitty said to Semadar, while she was a little frightened by the gifts, and the transporter’s engine had already been started, “Semadar, I don’t find words to… ”
“To what?” she asked in Hebrew.
He answered her also in the holy language, mixing some ancient words with new ones. She understood he had learned that sentence by heart, and maybe paid to somebody who helped him to style it :
“I will pour out my heart to you, and tell you how deeply your personality and shape impress me.”
“Oh please , please… I believe you, Naitty. But I am sorry. I can’t accept that kind of talk. You put me in just an impossible position. I had been already thinking seriously about somebody.. I have a relationship with another,” She lied to him. “I had already wanted to tell you that, when we saw you in Haifa. It was when you had mentioned to me something – about the new Album, that you delivered at the end of the Show … for the three of us together.”
It was Effy’s idea, that first Naitty would buy a common album ‘for the use of the Band’. The three girls would put there pictures that were- and would be – photographed during their Shows.
Naitty remembered, that he added there a special page, that preceded the trasnparent pages of the album, for fixing or sticking in – those photos. On that page he asked the artist, who had made that costly album, to write the following sentences for him in Hebrew (here is the English transaltion from the Hebrew origin, of the Biblic ‘Songs of King Solomon’):“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine.… The fig tree has rippened the figs. And the vines in blossom (=Semadar, in Hebrew)have given forth their fragrance.”
So, the word Semadar – was underlined by a blue pen, and Semadar would see it and understand. However, Erga was the person who had gotten the gift from Naitty: He had hesitated at that phase of relationship to render a personal gift to Semadar. Erga had no time to turn pages and look, so she handed the album ‘that the American had brought’ to Tzvia and Avia. Naitty had not known that both girls were suspected as Lesbians, but not because of that they hated to read the opening page: They hated Americans more than anything, being a leftish Kibbuts natives, and Soviet Russia oriented. They saw that present as a capitalistic trick to bribe the working-singing class. So, on the coming day they gave it to Semadar, who really looked in and was not so happy. It was hard for her to ‘digest the idea’ of having a man of about thirty as a very serious courtier. She still was simply hesitating…
The short ceremony of ‘finalization of recruitment’ had ended very soon, and the crowd of parents and other relatives and friends was waiting to meet their loved ones, or take home a part of them. Semadar caught in distance the sight of Humik. She suggested to Naitty they would approach him together, but Naitty said: “Please, I don’t know the guy very well. Go yourself there, and meet him. I’ll wait here, even half an hour. I’m sure, that as a new soldier he would certainly like to talk a lot about his activity in the army, and you’ll like it. Also- you have common memories from New York… I know he is not your boyfriend now.”
“I would hate to let you feel,” she said, “as my personal driver, for arriving here and moving out.”
“Oh, I am matured enough for not thinking like that,” he generously said. Semadar moved alone to meet Humik.
The soldier was standing with his kitbag, waiting for her on the ‘Square of Orders’. He was quite excited to see her in a new blue dress, and told her that it was very well tailored. She was holding a packet wrapped by a present’s flashing blue and white cover sheet. It was a book in Hebrew about Israel’s Independence War. A reporter or Army officer, who had taken a part in that war, was its author.
Humik thanked her, and asked how the Singingirls were advancing in their Shows. She answered that Erga had been very satisfied from the newspapers’ criticism, and the audience reaction was very fine all over the country. Then Semadar told him about Naitty’s nice present to the Singingirls.
“I understand, that Naitty is the bearded guy there, waiting on the bench far away.” pointed Humik toward the seats of the visitors, and she held down his stretched hand. “I had discerned him- standing with you there before.” he added.
“He had brought me here,” she said, “He tries to court me, but I have told him that I would not have a serious relationship with him. But as he has kept trying – I’ve really exploited him for my purpose of visiting here, and see you.”
“I don’t know him,” said Humik, “only heard something about him. He had a bad business in New York, but succeeded to rescue himself from the banks, I think.”
“He has now a nice vehicle,” she said, “According to what he told me on the way here, he had already made a great business in Israel; and he would extend it. He deals with supplying many kinds of food to wholesalers and grocery stores. ”
“You know, that I’ll be soon in the Fighter Pioneers Seed settlemnet?” he said, “it is far, on the south of Jerusalem hills.”
“But you’ll write or phone me,” she said, “from time to time. Won’t you?”
“Of course”, said Humik, “and I just want to tell you again: be cautious with that guy, Nathan. I am not jealous regarding his
courting you. You and me are just good friends, and I warn you like a friend. A man who had some financial problems there, maybe… you know. If you continue relationship with him – maybe one day you’ll regret it. That’s my opinion.”
“Shame on you to talk to me like that! I’ve told you: I have no wish to be courted by him. I’ve even lied, that there is somebody else who’s going out with me. I had expected that he would understand. He is too old for me. Thirty.”
Humik departed from her in a bad feeling. Her words had not convinced him that she would disregard Naitty Freulich.
However – Semadar was satisfied that she had ommitted mentioning to Humik the golden personal gifts she had received at that day. She was very flattered, could not help it, and maybe she even thought it had been a sign from Heaven.
Humik was very tired. In addition to Semadar’s matter that bothered him a little – now would begin something unknown: He would have to live in a semi-community, in a remote place. He knew that over there, in Nehusha Seed – seven guys from his childhood would join him; but maybe some would withdraw? Yes, he was capable to make friends everywhere, but the place itself was seen like an obscure point on the map, and difficult to reach or go out. No regular bus there- even once a day…
Humik’s seven friends on the marching square- were also departing from their families. He waited for them after Semadar had left him. Soon they all would be driven by a truck of the Fighter Pioneers’ Youth to their new dwelling in the ‘corner of the world’; so they were joking about Nehusha Seed.
CHAPTER 40